


Far From Reality

by DominikaDecember



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: F/M, Wesley's POV, s4 retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28408158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DominikaDecember/pseuds/DominikaDecember
Summary: It's simple really, sometimes you can have canon and accept it the way it is, and sometimes you gotta get your butt in gear and write something to fix it.My S4 retelling but with Fresley.
Relationships: Winifred "Fred" Burkle/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Far From Reality

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written for BTVS or ATS cus I never thought my writing could ever do the justice that is these beautiful and incredibly problematic shows but I've been rewatching and rereading over the Xmas break and I need some Fresley love
> 
> Also I love s4 except for Cordelia's character being destroyed but hey, this is my way of fixing it. And no Gunn hate! I love Charles Gunn and refuse to ever think of him as a villain.

This was too much. 

He stared at the wall. 

The beast was ready to destroy everyone and everything and he couldn't find a single damn thing about it. 

Wesley let his head fall as he sat in the boss' chair. The chair he once called his own. There were many times he felt helpless. This was another addition to the list. 

He could hear Angel arguing with Cordelia about Angelus outside of the office. Connor quipping that the two were one in the same adding more tension to everything. He was getting tired of the miserable atmosphere of everyone around him. 

It's not like this found family was ever normal but there was a time when things felt happier. Before... 

"Fred, I'm not having this conversation with you again." Wesley's ear focused on her name as Gunn and the most wonderful woman were having their own argument at a desk. Fred was writing something down. "It's too dangerous. You're not going." Wesley watched Fred face her boyfriend. 

"Charles, there's some things that I can't accomplish even with my brilliant improvising and this piece of equipment could help us. Why can't you understand that?" 

"I understand. It's just not happening."

"Stop it." Wesley watched as she left his view. Gunn took a deep breath and by accident met his eyes. He took a step forward into the office doing his intimidation technique.

"You got something to say, English?" Wesley couldn't help himself. He leaned back in the chair and smirked.

"She's not a dog you can keep on a leash." Gunn's eyes narrowed.

"You focus on being useful around here instead of getting in our way."

"Seems you're doing plenty of that by yourself." Gunn slammed his hands on the desk and Wesley's jaw clenched ready to fight the other man.

"Keep at it, Wes. Soon you're never gonna be able to come back out of that pile of shit you're in." Gunn hissed and stalked out of the office. Wesley took a deep breath. 

The two were friends, brilliant friends when Angel turned on them. He missed that, even though the resentment was far stronger. Fred chose Gunn and to this day he wasn't able to stop seeing his once partner in a battle as an enemy. 

Wesley focused on reading more about Angel's curse and how to desoul him in a manner best for all. 

"Have you forgotten what Angelus did to Jenny Calendar?!" Angel yelled at Cordelia. "Have you forgotten everything that you experienced last time he was around?"

"No but out of everyone here, Angelus is the only one who has information on the beast!" Cordelia yelled back. Wesley was starting to get a headache. Releasing Angelus was a very dangerous thing to do but it was their last resort. He understood Angel's reasons for this but even Cordelia who was always conscious of the possibility was admitting that Angelus could be of help. 

And out of everyone at Angel Inc, she was the one who witnessed some of Angelus' cruelty and torment when she was just sixteen. She knew of the dangers but agreed it was the best course of action. 

Wesley admitted that he'd always wanted to meet the dark side of his former boss. Years of fighting by his side always left him curious whether he would be a match for the demon that was locked away. 

Fred scurried into the office and stopped short when she noticed Wesley. 

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realise you were in here." She apologised with a small smile and went to look for something in the cupboard. "I'll be out of your hair real quick." 

"That's alright." Wesley said softly hoping to see that small smile again. No matter how many times they were around each other, no matter the circumstances, his heart still sped up at the sight, he was still drawn to her. 

"Darn." Fred muttered as she pulled out a volume. "Do you have the Codex of Lucretius by any chance?" She looked at him and at the books on the desk. Her brown eyes shining with focus. He wouldn't dare to look away. 

"I'm afraid not, Fred. Is there something else I can do?" He asked and felt a small delight as she hesitated. Fred bit her lip, glancing out at the rest of their friends still arguing in the lobby before settling on a chair opposite of Wesley. 

"A friend of a friend of a friend of Lorne's got in touch with me. There are rumours that there is an ultrasonic extractor available for a prana substance on the black market. I'm not entirely sure how it would work or if it even would work but it's a weapon. A weapon we could use to our advantage." 

"An extractor for a life force?" Wesley questioned thoughtfully. Fred nodded. 

"But I need the Codex to be able to focus the scientific equation of the extractor on a mystical energy." She picked a few books up off the desk. "I can't just sit here and be useless whilst everyone is fighting this thing. I need to do something." Her voice grew agitated with each word. Wesley leaned forward trying to meet her eyes. 

"You're not useless." He said firmly shocked at her words. She scoffed and he felt his heart break. 

"I'm smart. That's all I can offer but that's not what we need right now. We need people who are combat ready." Fred looked up at him, an angry expression. "We need fighters against this thing. I'm a liability. I need protecting every time there is a fight." Wesley noticed her eyes tearing up. "How is that helpful?" He placed his hand on top of hers on the desk. 

"Fred, you're the most brilliant person I've ever known." He whispered and her eyes fluttered slightly at the compliment. "You can hold your own, just fine. I've seen it." He smiled at her remembering multiple times when she would hit her enemies on the head with heavy objects that were around. "Just because you're not a soldier like some, that doesn't mean you're not a fighter." She sniffed but let herself smile slightly again. 

"Thank you, Wesley." She said gently. They held each other's stare for a few more seconds before Fred withdrew her hand. He missed the warmth of it under his instantaneously. "I'm going to head out and get that extractor. I'm sure I'll figure it out even without the aid of the Codex." 

"Gunn is right that it's not safe out there. Perhaps you shouldn't go alone. I could come with or Gunn." He offered quickly feeling anxious about Fred roaming the streets of Los Angeles plunged into eternal darkness. 

"You're needed here and I..." She took a deep breath. "I think maybe Connor could come with me." He didn't miss how she avoided talking about her boyfriend. 

"That's a good idea." He nodded as she left the office and asked the young man to accompany her. Wesley watched as Connor immediately agreed wanting to be away from his father and Cordelia who were still arguing. Even Lorne decided to go with. Wesley noticed how Gunn didn't look Fred's way as she left. 

*-*-*

Angel had agreed. But he instructed that a steel cage be built in the basement. Gunn, Connor, Wesley and even Lorne worked to make sure it would hold with Angel inspecting everything and annoying them all. 

"Angel, we know how to build a cage." Wesley said when the vampire was a bit too close for comfort to his blowtorch. 

"Great, but that's not all I'm worried about." Wesley faced the other man who was holding onto the bars testing their strength. "You think you're ready, Wes, but you have no idea what he's capable of. He's not just going to hurt everyone, he's going to work his best to get everyone isolated until he can pick everyone one by one." Angel's eyes grew dark. "Don't let him." Wesley's eyes focused on Gunn and Connor in the background. It would be very difficult to keep the group together especially with the ongoing conflicts. 

"I'm going to get the shaman." Wesley told Angel. "If Angelus is not useful to us within the fist day, we're putting your soul back. Worst case scenario? You're gone for a day or so." He clapped Angel's shoulder and headed upstairs giving the blowtorch to Connor who eagerly continued his work. Wesley rarely saw the baby he kidnapped a year ago in the boy. He didn't feel like he bonded much with Connor as the baby and now that Connor was teenager, a troubled teenager, Wesley definitely wasn't interested in becoming friends. But he appreciated the extra muscle they had around. 

"Ow." He heard from the office. He spotted Fred rubbing the back of her head whilst working on a small device that resembled a palmpilot with a snow globe coming out of the back of it. Wesley stared at her for a few seconds. That face of concentration of hers was always something that gave him heart palpitation. He was so close to her but nowhere on her radar and it hurt. But in those few moments when he could just look, he felt bliss.

"Is everything alright?" Wesley blinked as Cordelia came into the office from the other entrance. Fred looked up and winced. 

"Yeah, just got a bit of a shock that went straight to the back of my brain. Not pleasant." She took a deep breath and noticed him smiling lightly. "How's the cage going? Anyone ready to become the next ultimate champion of whatever?" He suppressed a smile. Last year the two of them were rewatching the reruns of Friends and the episode where Monica's boyfriend wanted to be a wrestler always made Fred giggle the most. 

"It should be ready soon. I'm going to get the shaman. Is that the extractor?" She nodded as he stepped forward and looked it over with Cordelia hovering near by.

"It's kinda small." Cordelia commented. "Wouldn't it be bigger to contain something as big as the Beast?"

"Theoretically, no. The mystical energy doesn't exist in the same dimensions as physical bodies do and the Beast's life force, whilst powerful can be contained in a small 1 by 1 cube. It just has to be strong." Fred knocked her knuckles against the snow globe. "I just have to figure out how to ensure that strength on a normal piece of glass." Wesley nodded. Cordelia started talking about some spells to try but Fred shook her head saying that she needed a specific scientific formula that contained mystical qualities to make it work.

"I'm going to get the shaman." Wesley offered as Fred stopped speaking. "Hopefully we will get something useful from Angelus but if not, this would be a great asset." She smiled at him nervously and he felt himself melt inside. Only Fred could bring that out in him after everything that's happened. He could never hold it against her that she abandoned him like everyone else. He simply couldn't. 

"I'll try. Good luck." Fred said with Cordelia echoing her words as he left the office. This was going to be dangerous. He needed a clear head and being around Fred so much wasn't the best idea.

*_*_*

The soul flowed in the glass container in a hypnotising manner. Wesley locked it away in the safe as everyone watched. The shaman had the ability to put it back at any time so they would just need to let him know. 

But Angelus was now in their world and that was an intense amount of pressure. Wesley took up the role of the leader as Angel was current indisposed. Despite everything in between them, Gunn did silently accept orders Wesley sent his way. He even nodded when Wesley told everyone to watch his first interaction with the soulless demon. 

"I spent my life training for this, and I'm still not ready." Wesley admitted to the room. "He's smarter than I am, and a great deal more focused. He will exploit everything Angel knows about me and go for the jugular. Whatever he's got, I'm not going to see it coming."

"He's got a day." Wesley turned around to see Lorne speaking. "He's got a day to give us anything useful and then we're bringing Angel back." They heard faint singing from the monitor and Lorne closed his eyes. "He's got a day, Wesley. That's all." The green demon walked out of the office. Wesley's eyes met Cordelia. 

"This is the only way." She said quietly. "Just remember. It's only words. He's locked in that cage. That's the only way he can hurt us." She sent him a supportive smile and Wesley went downstairs with a shotgun. 

He didn't want to admit it to others but...

A small part of him was thrilled at meeting a legendary evil he was taught about at the academy. 

He fantasized enough times about beating Angelus in combat and the possibility of it being a reality felt incredible. He tried to slow his heart down as he went downstairs to face the demon that wore his friend's face. The demon hiding in the shadows of the cage. 

"Angelus." Wesley said quietly.

"Why Wes, you don't look very happy to see me." Angelus grinned and moved closer to the cage, his face looking predatory in between the bars. "Weird considering how it was thanks to your shaman friend I'm back to enjoy the gloom and darkness." 

"It was Angel's choice." Wesley replied confidently. 

" Angel, schmangel. You're the man with the brain." Angelus smirked as Wesley moved closer. Connor and Gunn painted a red line on the floor about half a meter away from the cage. It was close enough to stand near it but far enough that whomever or whatever was inside couldn't touch them. Wesley noticed how Angelus' eyes flickered to the line as he walked forward slowly. The vampire would take any chance to kill them. Even a second of letting your guard down could cost them their lives. 

"I must say, this is a very excited moment for me. I've always theorised how it would go about, being one-on-one with the infamous Angelus." He said. "I read everything about you, years of research and studying. As a former watcher, this is a high point for me." Wesley pulled a chair out slowly and sat down in front of Angelus holding the gun in his lap pointed at the vampire. 

"Don't you have a way with words. No wonder all the chicks dig you. Especially with the new look." Angelus walked to the other end of the cage. "Even our resident scientist seems to have noticed you." Wesley felt hope spring up in his chest but he quickly shut it down reminding himself who he was dealing with. "Too bad she's taken but hey. Maybe she'll give that bald head for ya." Wesley tightened his grip on the weapon, Angelus' eyes flickering to it unworried. 

"You've found a weakness and exploited it. Can we move on?" Angelus rolled his eyes and walked back to the shadowed corner of the cage. 

"Could use a chair if you're going to be pumping me up for information. I do enjoy sitting when anyone's pumping me." Wesley repressed a sigh. 

"The beast. Do you know it?" 

"Kind of a weak question on your part, Wes. Gotta admit I expect better." 

"Alright. Why doesn't Angel remember the beast when you do." 

"Hmm, maybe because he is a downer of extreme kind and doesn't remember any of the good times?" Angelus rolled his neck. "Oh, but here's one for you? What's with Angel and the Raiders of the Lost Arc?" 

"The movie?" Wesley asked feeling confused. 

"No, the dumbass perfect day fantasy he came up with. Caves, booby traps, the requisite phallic sword."

"Angel fought the beast in the fantasy?" Wesley asked catching on but Angelus went on as if he didn't notice the interruption. 

"Not enough to be the hero, needed the whole gang to pitch in and help kill lil beastie. To get what he wanted. We all want something, Wes. We all have an agenda. Even you." Wesley stayed silent knowing that another round of jabs was coming his way. "Wanting to be the hero, to impress the girl, move in and get her to love you. Holding hands, chocolates flowers and then--" Angelus slammed his hands on the bar making Wesley flinch. "You'll bend her over the kitchen counter--" 

"You don't know anything of use, do you?" Wesley interrupted. His fantasies of him and Fred in that context were not something he would share with anyone and Angelus' crass words were rattling enough for him. He also didn't want Gunn to hear this despite not being friends. 

"I bet he loves rubbing that bald, shiny head all over her soft, milky skin." Angelus grinned his face again hidden half ways in the shadows. Wesley stood up and put the chair back in its' place. "Oh come on. It's not like your schoolgirl crush is a secret."

"You're right." Wesley admitted. "But that's old information. The Beast called you its' adversary. It's a shame you only wish to play games with us. We could have really gotten to know each other." Wesley smirked at Angelus. "Think I'll bring back our champion now." 

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to get all defensive and talk? Geez, what else you got?" Wesley shook his head and headed up the stairs. It wasn't worth baiting Angelus. "Great stamina, Wes. No wonder Fred's not interested." Angelus called out as Wesley closed the basement door. Wesley would have loved to take a second and digest his mixed feelings but he didn't have that privilege. The moment he stepped out of the basement, he saw the group facing him expectantly. 

"What do we do now?" Fred asked him looking upset. 

"We put his soul back." Wesley answered. "There's no point in keeping Angelus when he's not going to share any information he has." Cordelia stepped forward and started walking to the basement. "What are you doing?" 

"There's still a card I can play." She answered mysteriously. "You've got to let me do this Wesley. And you can't ask me any questions." She finished, closing the door behind her. Everyone turned back tot he monitor but it went dark. 

"What is she doing?" Connor asked agitated. 

"We will give her a chance." Lorne said. "If there's anyone here that has a chance at playing Angelus, it's our Queen Cordy." 

"Lorne's right." Wesley agreed and ignored the glare from the teenager. "Cordelia knows Angelus better than all of us. We should trust she knows what she's doing. In the mean time, I'd suggest we prepare for another face off with the Beast." He went into the office leaving the group behind to do anything they deemed useful and turned to the most reliable thing he could focus on, his books. He heard someone walk into the office and was surprised to see Fred and Gunn standing there. "Angelus mentioned something about a sword. I figured..." He trailed off eyeing tha pair. 

"What was said down there--" Fred started but Gunn cut her off. 

"We heard it and I don't like it. I don't like having you here." Wesley didn't want to admit how much it hurt.

"Charles." Fred closed her eyes. 

"But you're needed. And as for this whole messed up feelings situation, Fred and I have come up with a solution." Wesley blinked not understanding. Gunn placed a hand on Fred's shoulder and kissed the back of her head. She leaned into his touch for a second before he walked out. Wesley was beginning to feel more confused than in his conversation with Angelus. 

"Fred, what is going on?" Wesley asked the beautiful woman in front of him. She opened her yes to look at him. 

"Me and Charles...We're not together anymore." 

"What?" Wesley suppressed a massive smile threatening to come out. 

"I love him and he loves me but things haven't been right for...a while. The best thing for both of us is to head our separate ways. Especially since..." She eyed him. "Especially since the feelings you have for me, are reciprocated." Wesley's heart stopped beating for a second. "Charles and I agreed that with everything, we should go back to being friends only. Love....it complicates things and neither one of us wants to hurt the other anymore than we already have." Wesley took a step foraward. 

"I guess, I should say I'm sorry and..."He swallowed as her big eyes took him in. "I'm really trying but..." She smiled at him, one of those little smiles on her face that made her eyes light up with a possibility. Wesley was utterly in love with her and now there was a chance that she would want to be with him? He took another step forward feeling a bubble of happiness build up in his chest as she waited there expectantly. A burst through the door made them both jump as Cordelia came back up from the basement. 

"He's ready to talk." Wesley loved Cordy but in that moment, he genuinely felt like he could punch her.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: dominikadecember


End file.
